If I send you to join the army and marry a woman, will you conquer the Empress?

The news spread like wildfire, quickly reaching the Five Clans Guild Hall.

Upon hearing this news, Li Boyong and the other seven family heads were first stunned, then burst into wildly joyful laughter!

"Hahaha! Arrogant! Utterly arrogant to the extreme!"

Li Boyong slammed his hand on the table, his face flushed with excitement.

"Who does he think he is? A god descended from heaven? How dare he challenge all the outstanding talents of our seven families all by himself!"

"He's courting death! He's handing us a tremendous gift!" Cui Jingshan exclaimed excitedly, clapping his hands and laughing.

"That's right! He said it himself! In front of the whole world! If we win, not only will the marriage alliance be finalized, but even that damned new policy can be wiped clean!"

"This is our best chance to turn things around completely!"

"Quickly! Send messages back to everyone immediately!"

Li Boyong made a decisive decision and issued the order.

"Summon all the top geniuses under thirty years old from our respective families—the most talented in literature, the most accomplished in chess, and the strongest in martial arts—to the capital as quickly as possible!"

"Three days from now, we will trample Qin Feng's face under our feet in front of the whole world! We will let him know what the true foundation of a thousand-year-old family is!"

In an instant, all seven great families sprang into action.

Countless carrier pigeons flew from the capital to all directions to deliver messages.

One by one, geniuses who had already made a name for themselves in their respective fields and were even hailed as "once-in-a-century" talents, traveled day and night from all over the country to converge on the capital.

The entire capital city was in an uproar because of this unprecedented gamble that was about to take place.

All eyes were focused on the training ground in the capital, which would determine the fate of countless people three days from now!

……

The three-day period arrived in the blink of an eye.

On this day, the drill ground in the capital was packed with people.

From high-ranking officials to ordinary citizens, almost everyone in the capital flocked here, eager to witness this showdown of the century.

In the center of the training ground, a huge arena had already been set up.

The Tian Ce Army soldiers, clad in gleaming armor, formed a formidable encirclement around the arena, completely sealing off the area.

At the highest point of the viewing platform, Empress Fuyao, dressed in her finest attire, personally attended the ceremony.

Beside her was the Northern Yan delegation.

On the other side was the camp of the seven great families, led by Li Boyong.

Behind them stood dozens of distinguished young people, each with an arrogant expression and sharp eyes. They were the top geniuses carefully selected from various schools.

They looked down at the lone figure in blue below the arena, their eyes filled with disdain and contempt.

"The auspicious time has arrived!"

With a loud shout from the master of ceremonies.

Li Boyong slowly stood up, walked to the front of the stage, and announced to the audience in a loud voice.

"Today, His Highness the Regent has made a bet with the five noble families and seven powerful clans!"

"The winner will be decided in three rounds: literature, chess, and martial arts!"

"Now, let's begin the first round, the battle of wits!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a handsome young man dressed in white stepped forward, leaped into the air, and landed lightly on the arena.

He bowed deeply to Qin Feng, his clear voice carrying throughout the entire venue.

"The Cui family of Boling, Cui Xuanji."

"Please enlighten me, Your Highness the Regent!"

Cui Xuanji!

When the name was announced, a gasp of amazement erupted from the stands surrounding the drill ground.

"It's actually Cui Xuanji! The most renowned prodigy of this generation of the Cui family of Boling!"

"I've heard that this person could compose poetry at the age of three, write prose at seven, and possesses a photographic memory, earning him the reputation of being the reincarnation of the 'Poet Immortal'!"

"The Cui family actually sent him out for the very first match! It seems they're determined to win this literary contest!"

The scholars and literati present looked at Cui Xuanji with eyes full of admiration and envy.

And Cui Xuanji himself certainly had reason to be proud.

He stood on the ring, tall and straight, with a smile on his face. His calm and confident demeanor drew the attention of countless noble ladies in the audience.

He looked at Qin Feng across from him, his eyes carrying a hint of politeness, but more so, the arrogance of a top genius.

"Your Highness, I am but a humble student, and I would like to offer my humble opinion on the topic of 'governing the country,' and I will each compose an essay for you. What is your opinion, Your Highness?"

He directly presented the question.

"Governing a country" is a grand and serious topic that best tests a person's knowledge, vision, and political insight.

He was confident that, with his ten years of hard study and extensive reading of history books, he could absolutely crush Qin Feng, this "warrior," completely on this topic.

"Can."

Qin Feng's answer was just one word.

Simple and straightforward.

Soon, two huge tables were carried onto the stage, complete with writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.

Cui Xuanji didn't stand on ceremony. He walked to a table, thought for a moment, and then picked up a brush and began to write.

His movements were fluid and graceful, full of beauty.

Countless allusions and profound philosophical insights flowed continuously from his pen.

He quoted extensively from classical texts, from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors of antiquity to the gains and losses of the current dynasty, writing thousands of words in one go.

The core argument of his article is nothing more than emphasizing that "the laws of our ancestors cannot be changed", that we should "govern the world together with the scholar-officials", and that we should respect the traditions and status of aristocratic families.

To put it bluntly, it's just a different, more sophisticated way of protecting the interests of their powerful clans.

After finishing the article, he put down his pen with satisfaction, a confident smile on his face.

An official stepped forward, held his article high, and read it aloud in a loud voice to the public.

"Excellent! Excellent writing!"

"Fully quoting classical texts, every word a gem! Truly the work of a master!"

"His insights into the present, drawing on the past, are truly unique! Such talent is a blessing to the nation!"

Before the article was even finished being read, the prominent figures in the audience were already cheering loudly.

Li Boyong and the others stroked their beards, their faces beaming with pride: "This boy has the talent of a prime minister."

In their view, the outcome was already decided.

All eyes turned to Qin Feng.

Qin Feng remained standing in the same spot, without moving an inch.

He didn't even glance at Cui Xuanji's article, which was being lauded to the skies by everyone.

"Your Highness, it's your turn."

Cui Xuanji smiled and reminded him, her posture like that of a victor waiting for his opponent to surrender.

Qin Feng then walked to another table.

Unlike Cui Xuanji, he didn't rush to put pen to paper.

Instead, he raised his head and slowly scanned the entire room with his gaze.

He saw the smug, aristocratic families in the audience.

In the distance, he saw Fuyao, who looked tense and worried.

They also saw the outermost edge of the drill ground, where ordinary people, dressed in rags and with expectant faces, stood.

Finally, his gaze fell upon the Tian Ce Army soldiers standing ramrod straight in their armor below the arena.

He smiled and picked up his pen.

However, the title he wrote was not "governing the country".

Instead, there were two large, blood-stained characters—

Loyal souls!